Ida Tarbell is best known today as the investigative journalist whose pieces on workings of the Standard Oil Company led to the creation of the Federal Trade Commission and the Clayton Antitrust Act. She was also an acclaimed biographer, known for her extensive works on the lives of Lincoln and Napoleon. Her research is exhaustive, and her prose is brisk and engaging. This biography finishes with an 115 page "sketch" of the Empress Josephine. - Summary by Ciufi Galeazzi
Chapters
1 Chapter I. Napoleon's Youth and Early Surroundings - His School Days at Brienne 16 min 2 Chapter II. Napoleon in Paris - Lieutenant of Artillery - Literary Work - Napoleon and the Revolution 27 min 3 Chapter III. Napoleon and Robespierre - Out of Work - General-in-Chief of the Army of the Interior 16 min 4 Chapter IV. Napoleon's Courtship and Marriage - His Devotion to Josephine 14 min 5 Chapter V. The First Italian Campaign - Napoleon's Way of Making War 51 min 6 Chapter VI. Napoleon's Return to Paris - The Egyptian Campaign - The 18th Brumaire 23 min 7 Chapter VII. Statesman and Lawgiver- The Finances- The Industries- The Public Works 20 min 8 Chapter VIII. Return of the Émigrés., The Concordat., Legion of Honor., Code Napoleon 23 min 9 Chapter IX. Opposition to the Centralization of the Government - Prosperity of France 14 min 10 Chapter X. Preparation for War with England - Flotilla at Boulogne - Sale of Louisiana 12 min 11 Chapter XI. Emperor of the French People - King of Italy 22 min 12 Chapter XII. Campaigns of 1805, 1806,1807 - Peace of Tilsit 25 min 13 Chapter XIII. Extension of Napoleon's Empire - Family Affairs 17 min 14 Chapter XIV. The Berlin Decree-War in the Peninsula- The Bonapartes on the Spanish Throne 13 min 15 Chapter XV. Disasters in Spain - Erfurt Meeting - Napoleon at Madrid 16 min 16 Chapter XVI. Talleyrand's Treachery - Campaign of 1809 13 min 17 Chapter XXVII. The Divorce - A New Wife - An Heir to the Crown 12 min 18 Chapter XVIII. Trouble with the Pope - The Conscription - Evasions of the Blockade - The Tilsit Agreement Broken 12 min 19 Chapter XIX. Russian Campaign - Burning of Moscow - A New Army 16 min 20 Chapter XX. Campaign of 1813 - Campaign of 1814 - Abdication 19 min 21 Chapter XXI. Ruler of the Island of Elba - Return to Paris - The Hundred Days - The Second Abdication 17 min 22 Chapter XXII. Napoleon's Surrender to England - Sent to St. Helena - Life in Exile - Death of Napoleon 19 min 23 Chapter XXIII. The Second Funeral of Napoleon - Removal of Napoleon's Remains from St. Helena to the Banks of the Seine in 1840 44 min 24 Life of Josephine, Chapter I Family - Early Surroundings - Eugene di Beauharnais - Marriage - Separation from her Husband 18 min 25 Life of Josephine, Chapter 2 Josephine in the Revolution- Imprisoned at Les Carmes-Struggle for Existence - Marriage with Bonaparte 25 min 26 Life of Josephine, Chapter 3 Bonaparte Goes to Italy, Josephine at Milan 1796 to 1797, Triumphal Tour in Italy, Bonaparte Leaves for Egypt 29 min 27 Life of Josephine, Chapter 4 Bonaparte is Made First Consul, Josephine's Tact in Public Life, Her Personal Charm, Malmaison 19 min 28 Life of Josephine, Chapter 5. The Question of Succession- Marriage of Hortense - Josephine Empress of the French People- The Coronation 26 min 29 Life of Josephine, Chapter 6. Etiquette Regulating Josephine's Life - Royal Journeys - Tact of the Empress - Extravagance in Dress 26 min 30 Life of Josephine, Chapter 7. Josephine Not Allowed to Go to Poland - Fear of Divorce - The Reconciliation of 1807-1808 - The Campaign of 1809 and Its Effect on Napoleon 24 min 31 Life of Josephine, Chapter 8. Josephine's Unhappiness- Napoleon's View of a Divorce - The Way in Which the Divorce Was Effected 18 min 32 Life of Josephine, Chapter 9. After the Divorce - Josephine's Suspicions of the Emperor - Her Gradual Return to Happiness 28 min 33 Life of Josephine, Chapter 10 Effect on Josephine of Disasters in Russia - Anxiety During Campaign of 1813 - Flight from Paris - Death in 1814 24 min
